Ryanair boosts Bournemouth presence

Holidaymakers will be able to fly from Bournemouth to Krakow from this autumn.

Ryanair announced its 2016/17 itinerary this week as it made the Dorset airport a new winter site.

The new itinerary means that Bournemouth-departing flyers can also enjoy flights to Gran Canaria, Malta and Faro during the cold season.

The low-cost carrier says the new flight volumes should bump up Bournemouth traffic to 450,000 passengers per annum - a hike of 19%.

The airport's managing director, Paul Knight, believes the new October service will be a reciprocal thing with Europeans coming to see what the south-coast hotspot has to offer.

Krakow's cracking charms

As one of Poland's oldest cities, Krakow can offer tourists a window on the past with old architecture to the fore, such as the 11th-century St Andrew's Church. Tourist attractions abound within easy travelling distance, such as:

• Pieskowa Skala Renaissance Castle

• the Wieliczka salt mines

• the Tatra mountains - ideal for hiking

Winter breaks

Holidaymakers planning on having a winter break can safeguard themselves against the worst happening by taking out travel insurance.

Such insurance can cover passengers against delayed flights and missed connections, as well as stolen cases and lost travel documents.

Ryanair's Bournemouth winter schedule

The liner will fly twice weekly to Malta, Krakow and Faro and once a week to Gran Canaria

This will take the total number of Ryanair destinations flying out of Bournemouth to seven if you add the existing Tenerife, Malaga and Alicante.

Ryanair has carried six million-plus passengers since debuting in the Dorset town 20 years ago this month.

To celebrate the new schedule, Ryanair is offering 100,000 Europe-bound seats from £19.99 until Monday (May 16) for travellers flying out this month or next.